US President Joe Biden is expected to make a major announcement about his re-election bid. Several senior Democratic leaders have suggested that he leave the race due to a disastrous debate performance, a failed assassination attempt on his rival Donald Trump, poor health, and falling poll numbers, according to media reports.
“Several people close to President Biden said on Thursday that they believe he has begun to accept the idea that he may not be able to win in November and may have to drop out of the race, bowing to the growing demands of many anxious members of his party,” The New York Times reported.
Biden, 81, is currently isolating at his Delaware residence after testing positive for COVID-19. Reports indicate that top Democratic leaders, including former president Barack Obama, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, have asked him to leave the race to prevent the party from losing the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives.
Unity may be one of our most elusive goals, but I firmly believe nothing is as important.
We can do this. And we must.
We owe it to those who gave their lives for this country. We owe it to ourselves. And we owe it to our children and our grandchildren. pic.twitter.com/6bMu1UvOVm
— President Biden (@POTUS) July 18, 2024
“People close to top Democrats said Thursday that it now appeared it was a matter of when—not if—Biden bows out of the presidential race. In the past day or so, former President Barack Obama has told friends who have called him that Biden’s path to victory is narrow, according to people familiar with the calls,” The NYT report said.
The Washington Post reported that Pelosi has been working behind the scenes to persuade Biden to bow out of the campaign. Obama has expressed doubts about Biden’s chances of winning.
According to The Hill, Vice President Kamala Harris is considering potential running mates. The names mentioned are Senator Mark Kelly, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper.
Most media reports suggest that Biden’s announcement about his re-election bid might come after the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
“One of the people close to him warned that the president had not yet made up his mind to leave the race after three weeks of insisting that almost nothing would drive him out. But another said that ‘reality is setting in’, and that it would not be a surprise if Mr Biden made an announcement soon endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement,” The NYT reported.
